irtfa’a

Posted on annePosted in designing, lace/shawls, patterns

Irtfa’a [Eert-FA-ah with a little lift in the middle]: from the arabic, means soaring

shown here is Blue Moon Fiber Arts Laci, colorway Thraven (from the raven clan group), available now at Blue Moon Fiber Arts

to purchase pattern or view pattern information, please check out the listing in our pattern shop

my sincerest thanks to tina for creating the inspiring, beautifully deep Raven Clan colors, and for asking me to design something with them; it has been a privilege to work together, and i hope we will again.
nan once again not only agreed to test knit, but fairly leaped at the opportunity, and once again has proven to be invaluable. and of course we can’t do any shawl pattern of consequence without vanessa, whose speed and experience (and enthusiasm!) make all the paper become real. vicki (also blogless) joined us from australia which was so cool because she knit whilst we slept and found all the stuff everyone else missed; you can’t really get much more coverage than that.
kate was instrumental in guiding me to just the right name for this piece, and i am grateful for her bottomless love of the arabic language (and her patience).

111 thoughts on “irtfa’a”

  1. Anne, those pictures are simply the most stunning and perfect pictures for this shawl.I especially like the picture of you walking down the stairs, I think looks like you’ll take off in flight rather than step foot on the ground. You really captured wings with this shawl with out it being overstated. Wonderful.

  2. Ah, spectacular. And the photos ain’t bad too. Also, beautiful scenery, and how come you still have fall, you lucky son-of-a-gun, while we have taken a nose-dive into winter?

    Will be starting up this one pronto (have put it at the top of my Christmas list!).

    Your designs just keep on getting better and better. You have such an understanding of what makes a beautiful stitch pattern, and how to make it work with the shape of a piece.

  3. i’m in love. absolute and total love. you are a genius! the only problem is that i have gift knitting and that i’m getting yarn hand-dyed just for this project. so i have to wait. patience is a virtue though right?

  5. May I just say that I adore this pattern…the sweep of the pattern, the edging, and especially, especially the way the shoulders curve up from the center panel, it makes them look exactly like a pair of feathered wings… lovely and gorgeous and definitely on my list of things to knit when I have more time 😉

  6. I thought Wing o’ the moth was about the prettiest shawl I’d ever seen, but this one . . . is heavenly! I like the shoulder shaping–it drapes so nicely.

  7. Wow, you did a fabulous job, it is perfect.
    This one definitely needs to be mine, just have to finish up all the pesky xmas presents first ;0)

  8. Oh Anne, you’ve done it again. It is beautiful and perfect with that yarn. What gorgeous photos (must give some credit to your photographer, too!) and I’m also curious about what you’ve got around your neck—it looks familiar but I can’t place it.

    Definitely one for my my “must order” list.

  9. Really, you are such an incredible talent. I hope after the holidays to finally sit down with one of your patterns so that I can enjoy your vision in person!

  10. It’s so wonderful Anne !!!!!!The shawl, the pictures, you, the leaves, I keep staring at the pictures over and over again.
    We are all so proud of you !!!!

  11. You have outdone yourself, m’dear. That’s all there is to it. Each new pattern is another breathless moment for us all — the mere mortal knitters. You’re amazing.

  12. It is simply stunning! (as we all knew it would be – considering, that you designed it)… will have to go now, must get my hands on a pattern 😉

  13. Oh My!!!!! Ain’t she grand?! I can hardly wait to order the pattern and the yarn and start but it’s gonna be a couple of weeks because of all the other things ahead to be finished. What a drag when one wants to start a new pretty but must wait a bit. Oh well, it’ll still be there, I hope.
    Ann in Dallas, Texas

  14. Absolutely stunning! Well done! And fantastic photos too (well worth the wait 😉

    I’m off to order the pattern! And fret over which raven colour to get…

  15. Wow- outrageously gorgeous! We are gonna have to invent some new superlatives for your work!!!

    I am kinda spinning around in circles trying to decide what to knit next! LOL

  20. Absolutely beautiful. I am more inspired than ever to really do this one day! (This one, and Bee Fields – that one, too, just bowled me over and opened my eyes to the possibilities of lace.)

  21. Once again, thanks for your speedy work. This pattern really, really makes me in awe. Oh my, must order now (pattern and! yarn.) Happy T-day to you and yours.

  22. Damn that’s gorgeous! What a nice thing to look at while sipping my coffee at work. Makes me want to go home and knit! I need to purchase.

  23. The photo shoot is stunning in all respects; it took my breath away. (sighing quietly in rapture while dreaming of black feathers falling from my needles)

  24. P.S. I too would like to know if there will be a kit available? It doesn’t make a huge difference for me, but it helps for non-knitters looking at a wishlist 🙂

  27. Purchase yarn – check.
    Purchase pattern – check.
    Download pattern – check.

    Mine all mine.

    Life is good.

  28. Ha HA! It is mine!!

    I wonder whether I can get all of my Christmas knitting done before the yarn arrives …

  31. What an awesome photo shoot. Yes, like everyone else, I need to go and get my pattern too. And I also want to know what the pretty little scarf around your neck is??

  33. Absolutely stunning.

    One weird request, though…I kind of love the unblocked look of Irtfa’a as well. Can you make some suggestions about how pattern repeats might go to increase unblocked size to match?

  34. I’ve just purchased the pattern. What a truly lovely combination of design and yarn! My husband walked into the room while I was looking at the second picture and asked why I was looking at a picture of a bat, but when he got close enough to see what it was, he pronounced it beautiful. I’ll definitely be making this. Thanks for what you do!

  38. Sigh… absolutely to die for! I loved the bee shawl, adored twinings, and have run out of superlatives for irtfa’a! My god, woman, what will you do for an encore?!

  39. Thank you for your beautiful design Ann. I have just ordered Thraven from Blue Moon, very exciting.
    All good things to you. I love your site.

  40. Oh Anne!

    That is Exquisite.
    Another item to add to my wish list.

    Only a few days until PayDay and I can buy a copy for my collection.

  41. Anne, you’ve outdone yourself! It’s absolutely gorgeous. The stitch patterns are perfect, it drapes beautifully on you. I am in awe.

  44. Divinely stunningly gorgeous Anne. Your my knitting hero! Now I must seriously start practicing my lace knitting on the weekend.

  45. Irtfa’a is fabulous! Everything about it is perfect, and the faroese shape fits this piece extraordinary well! As usual, the pictures are gorgeous, too.

  46. Anne. Dear gods, you’ve done it again. Every time I think you’ve designed the most beautiful thing ever…you outdo yourself. This will SO be my first Faroese.

    Also…even though it’s another post…I too want to do horrible things to the Valkyrie. That is so close to the (as yet not actually created) Plum Texan colorway it’s not even funny. Make mine Silk Thread, though.

  47. I’ve been reading your blog for a wee while now, Anne, and every day, you share something beautiful. This particular shawl is so gorgeous it *hurts*, in the best possible way!

  50. If you make it to the 100th comment, here I am saying Brava! Love the way shaping works and the way you’ve really captured the feeling of a wing!

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